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Community of the Cross of Nails

Coventry Cathedral is one of the world’s oldest religious-based centres for reconciliation. Following the destruction of the Cathedral during ‘Operation Moonlight Sonata’ in November 1940, Provost Howard in a national radio broadcast from the cathedral ruins declared that when the war was over he would work with those who had been enemies “to build a kinder, more Christ-child-like world.”

It was this moral and prophetic vision which led to Coventry Cathedral’s development as a world Centre for Reconciliation, which over the years has provided inspiration and support to many Christians addressing ongoing conflict in contemporary society.

A major part of this ministry was the establishment of the Community of the Cross of Nails, which today is an international network of over 200 Partners in 35 countries, each committed to a shared ministry of reconciliation.

As the spiritual home of the Community of the Cross of Nails, St Michael’s House, located right next to the Cathedral, has been re-thought as a dedicated space for skills-based learning and intellectual encounter alongside theological reflection and spiritual resources for reconciliation. St Michael’s House is also a dedicated space for facilitating conversations around questions of identity, difference and conflict in the church and wider society.

Today the medieval ruins of Coventry Cathedral continue to remind us of our human capacity both to destroy and to reach out to our enemies in friendship and reconciliation. In 2011, the ruins were designated as a memorial to all civilians killed, injured or traumatised by war and violent conflict world-wide. In order to commemorate these civilians, the Cathedral chose six themes to guide its focus: aerial bombing, refugees, sexual violence as a result of war, land mines, child soldiers, and the environmental impact of war. The Coventry Cathedral Memorial Ruins project seeks to commemorate these six themes and to act as an advocate and platform in raising awareness of these issues through the use and implementation of art, education material, prayer and worship.

The Cathedral’s work for reconciliation has involved it in some of the world’s most difficult and long-standing areas of conflict. Building on this experience we are committed to developing our ministry as a centre for excellence to resource the church in the practical outworking of reconciliation as an integral part of Christian worship, witness and discipleship.

International Cross of Nails Schools

The Community of the Cross of Nails organises International Cross of Nails Schools. See this page for more details.

Contact us

The Community of the Cross of Nails is a network that embraces the difference and diversity that its partners bring to the Christian ministry of reconciliation. It offers a rich resource of experience and skills to the wider church.

The Reconciliation team based at Coventry Cathedral oversees the CCN’s administration and communications globally, with regional networks in Germany, the USA, South Africa, the Netherlands and Eastern Europe coordinating their own members more locally. We are a team of four people in Coventry, supported by a wonderful set of interns (two of whom are pictured right) who spend a year with us.

If you would like to explore further how we could be of help to your church or organisation in its reconciliation work, or join us in this network, then we’d be very pleased to hear from you!